


Redamancy

by MooncatEclipse (Wolfgrowl)



Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Discussions of Afterlife, Flirting, I make use of what little Miqo'te lore there is, M/M, Pretentious as fuck title though, Rated T for one (1) dirty joke, Soft and a bit sad but no angst, discussions of religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23814193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfgrowl/pseuds/MooncatEclipse
Summary: Redamancy – noun: The act of loving in return.Before a hunt, Haurchefant helps Nijoh'ir apply his war paint and they discuss their religions.
Relationships: Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670677
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	Redamancy

**Author's Note:**

> For the Prompt: Grooming Each Other (Makeup/etc.)

Nijoh’ir was managing to hold his head remarkably still as Haurchefant gently ran his fingers over the skin under his eyes.

“You would trust me with this?” he asked softly, “truly?”

Nijoh’ir nodded stiffly, his chin still caught by Haurchefant’s hand and making it difficult to move his head, not that he had been trying before then, “yeah. Unless you don’t want to.” His ears flattened slightly, “I can have Amasar do it.”

“No, I will gladly help you!” Haurchefant let his hand drop, hurrying to reassure Nijoh’ir, “I just was surprised you’d ask something like this of me.”

Nijoh’ir arched a brow, “any reason I shouldn’t?”

Haurchefant glanced to the bowl of paint on the table and then back at Nijoh’ir, “I must confess my ignorance to all of this, I was unsure exactly what the significance of all this is and what is and is not appropriate.”

Nijoh’ir grinned, ears and tail wiggling, “I appreciate your concern, but I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t okay.” He leaned forward, “so we put this paint on when we’re on the hunt, and we wear it until the hunt is ended. It tells the Gods we are prepared to succeed in the hunt or serve them should we fail.”

Haurchefant hesitated now, “you think that when you die you become warriors for the gods?”

Nijoh’ir twitched his ears, “do you not? I’ve heard something about Halone’s halls but-”

Haurchefant shook his head and let out a rough breath, “I have been taught that those who die an honorable and glorious death or were pious and true in life shall go to Halone’s Hall to spend the afterlife.”

Nijoh’ir nodded slowly, “huh.”

“But then,” Haurchefant had picked up the bowl of paint that Nijoh’ir had prepared and stirred it before pulling his chair closer to Nijoh’ir once more, the Miqo’te immediately stilling but for his tail, “they say that Halone’s Palace was carved by Menphina’s moonbeams. Perhaps, one who dies in service to her may visit.”

“I don’t see why not,” Nijoh’ir spoke carefully, very aware of the fact that Haurchefant was painting on his skin, patterns he hadn’t had a chance to wear in moons, not since before the attack on the Waking Sands, it felt right to have them on once again, even if only for a brief hunt with Haurchefant and some of his knights to stock Camp Dragonhead’s larder. “I feel that the Lover, of all the twelve, would have the least reason to stop me from coming to visit.”

Haurchefant’s hand stilled, Nijoh’ir glanced over at him and made a small noise, sadness looked so out of place on his face. Gently he rested his hand on Haurchefant’s knee, his long tail swishing to brush against his leg as best he could.

It was not as though either of them could say the thoughts were dark per say, this was a simple hunt but the threat of dragons or heretics loomed, and both remembered well the inquisitor that had stalked them moons ago in an attempt to destroy House Haillenarte with claims of Heresy and anyone who got in the way of those goals along with them.

And then Nijoh’ir was the Warrior of Light, expected to risk his life for the realm at any moment. They lived their lives on the front lines of war, what time they had was brief and fraught. While they typically kept things light when alone, finding joy in each other’s presence, it was an unspoken topic they’d danced around.

“I met a man,” Nijoh’ir spoke slowly, turning so that Haurchefant could apply the paint to the other side of his face, “who asked me to fetch the ring of his dead wife. He said that she walked in Halone’s hall, and that she could not marry again until he had the ring.”

“Yes,” Haurchefant agreed, Nijoh’ir idly thought it was cute the way his tongue peeked out just slightly as he focused on getting the pattern just right, “we believe that marriage does not end at death, and that you can remarry in the afterlife.” He leaned back to look at Nijoh’ir and nodded, “I believe I have gotten it right.”

Nijoh’ir pulled out a mirror to look, “yeah that’s perfect!” He examined the light purple markings and grinned, tossing the mirror back in his bag of twelve knew what, “my family wears these one specifically,” he added, tapping his face just below them, “we believe these grants us better sight while on the hunt.”

Haurchefant nodded, smiled slightly, “if nothing else it calls attention to your eyes. Should you ever need my help with this again, I will gladly provide it.”

Nijoh’ir smiled up at him, ears and tail wiggling once again, “thank you.”

Haurchefant smiled and leaned down to catch Nijoh’ir in a kiss, “just so you are aware, when I enter Halone’s halls, I will happily and patiently wait to see if you are capable of convincing the twelve to let you in.”

Nijoh’ir snorted at that, “stagshit, you couldn’t patiently wait for me to get back safely from fighting a primal.” He smiled widely at Haurchefant, ears and tail still wiggling with mirth, “the twelve should just accept now that we’re going to be stubborn fools and plan our afterlives accordingly.”

Haurchefant pulled Nijoh’ir closer, brushing his thumb over his cheek, mindful of the still drying paint, “gods, I love you.”

“Love you too,” Nijoh’ir purred as Haurchefant continued to trace the patterns, neither eager to leave the other’s embrace.

“We should go before your knights assume, we’re-” Nijoh’ir cut himself off and smirked, “not coming, and leave without us.”

“Even if we did not go with them I believe we would still be-” Haurchefant broke off with a laugh as Nijoh’ir swatted him.

“That was terrible.”

“You’re laughing.”

“I can’t help it,” Nijoh’ir was laughing, ears and tail wiggling even as he fought his laughter, “you always make me happy.”

Haurchefant looked at Nijoh’ir with wonder and delight, as though those words had meant the world to him, Nijoh’ir’s face grew warm as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Lord Haurchefant!” both of them jumped at the sound of a voice, “are you and Nijoh’ir still intending to come with us?”

“Yes, we shall join you momentarily!” Haurchefant called back, he turned to Nijoh’ir, “when do you remove the paint?”

“When the hunt is over, it doesn’t have to be immediately, we can take care of it when we get back.” Nijoh’ir smirked, sauntering past Haurchefant, letting his tail catch on his armor, “enjoy a nice bath while we wait for dinner to finish.”

Haurchefant shook his head with a smile, “my dear Nijoh’ir, you look at me like that, and neither of us are going anywhere.”

Nijoh’ir winked at him, “ah, but I made a promise to the gods,” now he reached up to touch his paint, “so let’s get hunting. I thought you liked seeing me handle a bow.”

Haurchefant nodded to that, following after him long enough to grab Nijoh’ir’s ass before he sprinted ahead, Nijoh’ir letting out a yelp before chasing after him.

**Author's Note:**

> The war paint thing is canon btw!
> 
> "The ritual application of war paint to the face is still regularly practiced before going on the hunt, a tradition symbolizing their readiness to stain their hands with blood, as well as sending a message to their gods that they are prepared to serve them as warriors in the afterlife should they fall." - coming from the first lorebook and Square gives me so little lore for Miqote that I make the most of what I have.


End file.
